This invention relates to a portable case for a disc media where the disc media can be inserted and removed edgewise through a side of the case. More particularly, according to one aspect, this invention also relates to a storage device that includes storage space for both a disc media and for a printed media, such as a graphics label and/or a booklet. More particularly still, this aspect of the invention relates to a storage device for both a disc media and printed media, where at least a portion of the printed media can be seen from a side or “spine” of the storage device. According to another aspect, this invention relates to case for disc media that includes an improved structure for selectively controlling the release of the disc media from the case. Furthermore, this invention also relates to designs for a storage device that improves and simplifies the manufacturing of such a storage device for a disc media, and, optionally, printed media. This invention also relates to methods of storing disc media.
Disc media are used for recording analog or digital data, including sounds, pictures, and any other type of information. Typically, disc media are circular having two planar surfaces, a relatively small height (or thickness). At least one of the two planar faces or surfaces of the disc media can be used as a data recording surface. Typically, the disc media have a central hole for positioning the disc media in a recording and/or playing device. Normally, nothing is recorded on a circumferential edge of the disc media, which provides a portion for handling the CD so that the recording surface or surfaces do not have to be touched. The outermost peripheral portion of the circumferential edge of the disc media may be ramped and rounded so avoid presenting sharp edges.
Currently standard examples of this type of disc media is optical disc media such as a compact disc (“CD)” or a digital video disc (“DVD”). As used herein, the term “CD” will be generally understood to include both CD and/or DVD, which have the same diameter. The standard CD has a diameter of 4.720 inches and a height (sometimes referred to as a thickness) of 0.050 inches, plus or minus about 0.015 inches. In addition, a standard CD or DVD typically has a circumferential edge that is about 0.050 to 0.070 inches wide.
The current standard CD case, sometimes known as a jewel case, has a bottom case wall, top case wall, and four side case walls. The bottom and top case walls have dimensions that are at least sufficiently large to accommodate the diameter of the CD and are spaced apart at least sufficiently to accommodate the thickness of the CD. The bottom and top case walls are typically rectangular, and two of the side case walls are longer than the other two side case walls. The standard CD case has an overall length of 5.600 inches, an overall width of 4.900 inches, and an overall height of 0.400 inches, plus or minus about 0.015 on each dimension.
The bottom and top case walls of the standard CD case are hinged to open the case in a clam-shell manner about a pivot axis defined along one of the shorter side case walls. Typically, a spine graphics label is printed on a sheet label material having a thickness in the range of about 0.005 to 0.010 inches. The spine graphics label is positioned in the CD case such that a portion of the labeling information can be seen through both the shorter side case walls of the CD case, which facilitates location of a particular CD case when a plurality of the CD cases are stacked together or lined up on a shelf. Hence, the shorter side case walls are sometimes referred to as the spines of the CD case, analogous to the spine of a bound book.
The standard spine graphics label for a standard CD case is a piece of rectangular sheet material. The rectangular sheet material typically has a length of about 6.200 inches and a width of about 4.800 inches. The sheet material is typically paper stock, but can be formed of any suitable sheet material for printing, such as plastic. Graphic and textual matter can be printed on one or both sides of the sheet material. The standard graphics label has two bend lines formed near and parallel to the shorter sides of the cut piece of rectangular sheet material, which are formed at about 0.300 inches from each of the shorter sides of the rectangular sheet material. These bend lines define a central, relatively-major rectangular area that is approximately the size of the length and width of the standard CD case and also define two relatively-smaller rectangular end portion areas that are approximately the size of the width and height of the standard CD case. This type of graphics label is generally U-shaped. Thus, this standard graphics label is positioned in the standard CD case such that one side of the relatively-major rectangular area of the graphics label is visible through a transparent top or bottom case wall of the CD case and the relatively-smaller end portions of the graphics label are visible through either of the shorter side case walls of the CD case.
The standard CD case also has a sufficient cavity space to accommodate a small booklet (sometimes referred to as a “libretto”), which can provide information about the CD. For example, a musical CD would typically have information about the songwriters, musicians, singers and other vocalists, their background or history, and the song lyrics. Similarly, a DVD could have information about the movie subject matter, producers, writers, actors, etc. A software CD could have booklet information about how to install the software on a computer other technical information. The desire to have additional space for such a booklet substantially contributes to the height of the standard CD case, which otherwise could be about half or even less.
Most of the commercially-available storage or shelving units for CD cases are specifically adapted to accommodate a plurality of such standard CD cases, usually such that at least one of the pair of shorter side case walls of each CD case is visible. Furthermore, the CD cases can be placed in the storage or shelving unit from either of the shorter ends, such that either of the two shorter side case walls is visible for displaying a standard spine graphics label. Therefore, although not otherwise necessary, it is desirable for a CD case, even an improved CD case, to continue to have the standard overall dimensions and the ability to accommodate conventionally configured-and-sized paper-media graphics labels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,454 issued to Etienne A. M. Schatteman et al. on May 12, 1987, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a storage device for record discs (conventional grooved record discs or optical compact discs). As described in the “Disclosure of Invention” thereof, the storage device provides “a storage compartment for holding a record disc in a fixed position solely by the edge of the record disc and preventing contact with the surfaces of the record disc and the walls of the storage compartment.” This storage devices is primarily directed to the use for storage of CD discs in a record disc rack or record magazine for the storage of a plurality of discs, which may be used as a component of a record disc player or recorder by rolling along its bottom edge on a ramp surface leading to a ledge which bridges the walls of the compartment. This device does not address the problems of a jewel case. For example, it does not provide for the inclusion of any printed graphic label material with the CD discs or the manual handling of a CD jewel case.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,031 issued to Kimio Tanaka et al. on Sep. 5, 1989, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a disc cartridge having peripheral disc support. As described in the Abstract thereof, “the disc cartridge includes steps or sheet-like members provided on the inner surface of the casing in a manner to be inwardly projected from the inner surface. The steps or sheet-like members are positioned so as to be engaged with a non-recording surface section of the disc to support the disc thereon, so that a clearance may be defined between the recording surface section of the disc and the inner surface of the casing.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,064 issued to George F. Rufo et al. on Mar. 17, 1992, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an enclosure for optical discs with a temporary increasing width. As described in the Abstract thereof, “ . . . the box-like structure has an access opening along its end . . . for permitting the insertion and removal therethrough of optical discs into and from the cavity; rigid projections projecting into the cavity from opposite side walls for reducing the side-to-side dimension of the cavity to less than the diameter of the disc at a location along the side walls, the location positioned between the access opening and the point along each side wall corresponding to the diameter of the disc when fully received within the cavity, whereby the spaced apart welds allow the side-to-side dimension of the cavity to temporarily enlarge under the influence of the force exerted by the disc on the rigid projections, the side-to-side dimension of the cavity returning to its original interior dimension after the width of the disc becomes less than the original diameter at the location . . . . ” This is intended to prevent the disc from inadvertently slipping or falling out of the cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,721 issued to Castritis on Nov. 30, 1993, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an ejectable CD container. As described in the Abstract thereof, the container “allows the user to open the container and insert the disc into a compact disc container using only one hand . . . . The container includes a tray that holds the compact disc, and slides along two ridges in the container between a retracted position and an extended position. The user controls the sliding of the tray by sliding a knob mounted on the tray and protruding through the cover of the container. When the container is opened along one wall of the container, the tray is slid out of the container to its extended position so as to enable removal of the compact disc.” The container also includes a paper label booklet support portion. However, it is not possible to see the booklet or any other labeling material for the disc from the sides of the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,450 issued to Shih-Hsien Lin on Jun. 20, 1995, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a compact disc carrying case having an upper cover, a lower cover, and a disc holder. The upper cover is formed with a left side and a right side walls each having a flange at the lower edge and a groove 111 designed for keeping a song book, brochure, or the like (FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5). The lower cover includes a left side, a right side and a rear side walls. The left side and the right side walls have a longitudinal projection at the intermediate portion thereby forming a shoulder at the lower portion so that the longitudinal projection of the lower cover is engageable with the groove 111 of the upper cover, thereby enabling the lower cover to be slid out of the carrying case with respect to the upper cover. However, it is not possible to see the booklet or any other labeling material for the disc from the sides of the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,656 issued to Steven Gottlieb on Aug. 12, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a sleeve package for compact discs. As described in the Abstract thereof, the package is “for a compact disc and a booklet of lyrics. The package comprises an outer container and an inner sleeve with the inner sleeve being divided into two compartments, one for the compact disc and a separate compartment for the booklet. The inner sleeve is capable of being received within the outer container in either of two positions, one for long term storage and a second for short term storage, the later providing easier access to the compact disc. A disc holding mechanism holds the disc in the inner sleeve.” Furthermore, the detailed description states that the package is a paperboard container, which “allows for graphic material to be directly printed onto the surface of the package, even including printing on the spines or short-ends. This allows for efficient display of the titles and artists on the retail shelf space.” However, this structure does not allow for the standard spine graphics label used with standard CD cases to be used and seen from the spines or short-ends of the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,216 issued to Alexander H. Nesbitt and Thomas A. Garland on Sep. 2, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses in the Abstract thereof: “A jewel case for a compact laser disc consists of a transparent hinged case and a disc holder received inside the case. The case is hingeably movable between a closed position wherein the case defined an interior cavity and an edge opening, and an open position wherein the interior cavity is exposed . . . . The disc can be mounted in the disc holder while the case is open, or can be inserted into the disc holder through the edge opening while the case is closed. A cam arrangement is provided for resiliently deflecting the arms outwardly to a deflected position to disengage the capture points from the side edges of the disc thereby releasing the disc from the holder.” Again, this structure does not allow for the standard spine graphics label used with standard CD cases to be used and seen from the spines or short-ends of the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,246 issued to Klaus Willy Gloger on Oct. 14, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses in the Abstract thereof: “a container (100) having a recess (107) arranged to receive an object such as a compact disk (50). The recess (107) has a mouth (112) opening through a side wall (108) of the container (100) and an ejector (118) for ejecting the object from the recess (107).” However, the ejector is accessed and controlled through a portion of one of the shorter side walls of the container and the mouth for ejecting the CD is in the opposite shorter side wall. Again, this arrangement does not allow for the standard spine graphics label used with standard CD cases to be used and seen from the spines or short-ends of the case. Furthermore, this design is complicated and expensive to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,180 issued to Koh, et al. on Aug. 31, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses in the abstract thereof: “a plastic box that has top and bottom walls and a front end which [is] open . . . A spring member inside the box adjacent its real wall has one part that is fixedly secured to the box, and a movable part than when released can directly engage the peripheral edge of the flat circular member. The movable part of the spring member is normally stored in a retracted position behind a rib that extend inwardly from the pat wall of the box. The top wall has a flexible portion behind the rib which is downwardly depressible for releasing the movable part of the spring member so that it will then engage the compact disc and eject it from the open front end of the box.” This patent also mentions a “customary cover sheet”, however this is not the same as a standard graphics label previously described herein, which is generally U-shaped and adapted to be positioned in the standard CD case such that one side of the relatively-major rectangular area of the graphics label is visible through a transparent top or bottom case wall of the CD case and the relatively-smaller end portions of the graphics label are visible through either of the shorter side case walls of the CD case. U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,180 does not recognize, for example, the desirability of being able to use a standard U-shaped graphics label or the benefits of having the front opening in one of the longer side case walls of the CD case.
These examples of prior efforts to improve CD case designs illustrate that there has been a long-felt need for an improved CD case that includes one or more of the following improvements: being less prone to damage and breakage; allowing easier access to the CD and without touching or otherwise contacting the recording surfaces; allowing the use of a graphics label to be seen through both of the two shorter side case walls of the CD case; allowing printed media, such as a graphics label and/or booklet information to be selectively stored with the CD case; and being compatible with the current standard CD case sizes.